In another type of known printer, for example described in EP-A-322919 a mirror image of the image to be displayed is transferred onto a transparent image receiving tape allowing the image to be viewed through the other side of the tape. A double sided adhesive tape is then secured at one of its adhesive coated sides to the image receiving side of the transparent image receiving tape after the image has been printed. The other adhesive side of the double sided adhesive tape is covered by a removable backing layer.
In both of these devices the image is printed on the image receiving substrate before the layers of the finished composite label are joined. That is, it is necessary to apply a “laminating” or protective layer to the image receiving tape on which the image is printed. As a result it is necessary to supply the printing device with separate tapes providing the laminating and the image receiving layer. A disadvantage of such an arrangement is the need to align the layers to form the composite label once the image has been printed, using guide rollers or the like. A second disadvantage is that the printing device must house the tapes forming each of the layers separately, or the “laminating” tape is dispensed outside the printing device.
The print head for such printing apparatus generally comprises a plurality of printing elements which are selectively activated, that is heated. An image is generated in one of two ways. An intermediate ink ribbon can be provided so that when the activated printing elements of the print head heat up the ink from the parts of the ink ribbon in contact with the heated printing elements is transferred to the image receiving tape. Alteratively, the heated printing elements may directly contact a thermally sensitive image receiving tape which causes an image to be formed thereon by thermal activation.